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Emerging Heat Star Signs Huge $62.4 Million Extension

Emerging Heat Star Signs Huge $62.4 Million Extension

The Miami Heat are a franchise in transition these days. Just two calendar years ago, they reached the NBA Finals for the second time in a span of four seasons, but their core maxed out its potential, and they now need to develop their young players.
Six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler, who had been their leader and best player for five-plus seasons, was traded to the Golden State Warriors back in February. That trade brought them two-way former All-Star forward Andrew Wiggins, and this season, they will look to become competitive again behind Wiggins, star big man Bam Adebayo and a number of young prospects.
Nikola Jovic, one of those young prospects, has reportedly agreed to a contract extension that will pay him a generous $62.4 million over four years, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
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Jovic, not to be confused with Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokić, stands 6-foot-10 and is originally from the United Kingdom, although he spent a good chunk of his childhood in Serbia. The Heat took him with the No. 27 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and since then, he has gradually progressed.
Last season, he averaged 10.7 points in 25.1 minutes a game. He isn’t a very strong rebounder or shot blocker, but he has been developing into a reliable outside shooter and made 37.1% of his 3-point attempts last year.
He had a sizable performance in Game 4 of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. With Miami facing elimination against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he went 8-of-15 from the field and hit four of his nine 3-point attempts to score 24 points in 29 minutes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly enough, as Miami got pummeled 138-83 and was sent home for the summer.
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Miami Was Still Active This Offseason
There’s a perception that the Heat have entered a soft rebuild, but they were still aggressive during the offseason. In a three-team trade, it gave up Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love and received Norman Powell, a wing who is a very potent scorer and is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 21.8 points a game.
Adebayo is a three-time All-Star at age 28, and guard Tyler Herro put up a career-best 23.9 points and 5.5 assists a game while making his first All-Star team last season.
The Achilles injuries to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers floor general Tyrese Haliburton have opened up the Eastern Conference, and that should make it a bit easier for the Heat to reach the playoffs once again.